Violence against Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico

Leonor Rivera Rivera; Marina Séris Martínez; Luz Myriam Reynales Shigematsu; José Alberto Gómez García; Fernando Austria Corrales; Filiberto Toledano-Toledano; Alberto Jiménez Tapia; Diana Iris Tejadilla Orozco; Claudia I Astudillo García

doi:10.3390/healthcare11030419

Violence against Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico

Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Feb 1;11(3):419. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11030419.

Affiliations

¹ Centro de Investigación en Salud Poblacional, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Cuernavaca 62100, Mexico.
² Secretariado Técnico del Consejo Nacional de Salud Mental (STCONSAME), Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City 06900, Mexico.
³ Comisión Nacional para la Mejora Continua de la Educación (MEJOREDU), Mexico City 03900, Mexico.
⁴ Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Basada en Evidencias, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, National Institute of Health, Mexico City 06720, Mexico.
⁵ Unidad de Investigación Sociomédica, Intituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Mexico City 14389, Mexico.
⁶ Dirección de Investigación y Diseminación del Conocimiento, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias e Innovación para la Formación de Comunidad Científica, INDEHUS, Mexico City 14389, Mexico.
⁷ Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz (INPRFM), Mexico City 14370, Mexico.
⁸ Servicios de Atención Psiquiátrica (SAP), Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City 11410, Mexico.

Abstract

This study measured the prevalence of cases of domestic violence against women and some associated factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. Data were collected through a remote survey during 2020. The sample included 47,819 women aged 15 years and older. Jointpoint regression and logistic regression models were used. The prevalence of violence was 11.5%, which decreased in July and subsequently increased. The associated factors were being unemployed (OR = 2.01; 95%CI 1.89-2.16); being partially and totally quarantined (OR = 1.58; 95%CI 1.43-1.75 and OR = 1.47; 95%CI 1.32-1.63); being a caregiver of children; being a caregiver of elderly and/or suffering from a chronic illness (OR = 1.27; 95%CI 1.19-1.36; OR = 1.42; 95%CI 1.33-1.53; OR = 1.59; 95%CI 1.47-1.73); losing a family member to COVID-19 (OR = 1.26; 95%CI 1.13-1.41); and binge drinking (OR = 1.94; 95%CI 1.78-2.12). The confinement measures increased gender inequalities, economic problems and workload which further evidenced violence against women.

Keywords: COVID-19; binge drinking; caregivers; isolation; violence against women.

Grants and funding

This work is one of the results of the research project HIM/2015/017/SSA.1207, “Effects of mindfulness training on psychological distress and quality of life of the family caregiver”. Main researcher: Filiberto Toledano-Toledano, Ph.D. The present research received federal funds for health research and was approved by the Commissions of Research, Ethics and Biosafety at the Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez National Institute of Health. The source of federal funds did not control the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretations, or the decisions regarding publication.